Pop-up shops and food trucks are so last year. This summer in London, it is all about the barge boutique.

A
fleet of approximately 15 temporary storefronts is currently floating on Regent's Canal about a
mile away from Olympic Park in Mile End Park. On 20 August, the market will
float over to Little Venice near Paddington in time for the Paralympic Games,
taking place in London from 29 Aug to 9 September.

The
market sells everything from handicrafts and artwork to vintage clothes, herbal
remedies and homemade Slovakian food – with shops for nearly every interest.

Rawling's Cakes, which specialises in gluten-free and dairy-free
baked goods, serves items such as vanilla and blueberry cupcakes, chocolate
macadamia nut brownies, and carrot, lime and black cardamom muffins.Equally
appetizing is Vareska, a Slovakian cafe run by a mother-daughter team.
Signature dishes include Kapustica (sauerkraut,
smoked sausage and mushroom soup) served with crusty bread, and plnena placka (a potato, garlic and
marjoram pancake filled with sautéed chicken and vegetables).

The
Sandwich Barge is an organic cafe selling -- you guessed it --
freshly made sandwiches along with soup, cakes and even baby food. For the
Olympics, the menu’s focus is on traditional British fillings like Wiltshire ham and
mature cheddar, or marinated chicken
with mango chutney. They also have a chandlery service that sells organic
boating supplies such as toilet fluid if you're in the market for that.

Slightly
more offbeat, Stormvogel, the Herbal Barge, gives natural medicine consultations, sells herbal
remedies and holds workshops on herbal medicine making. They claim to be
London's first floating herbal apothecary in 350 years.

Word on the Water is a floating second-hand bookshop owned by
three men who call themselves "The Doctor", "The Professor"
and "The Captain". The barge has a few cosy reading nooks as well as
a resident cat curled up in the corner and a rooftop stage where local
musicians perform.